2019 Miracle Yearbook

Fools The cast of the fall play took to the stage on Oct. 4-14 to perform "Fools" by Neil Simon. The play is about a young schoolteacher who gets a job in a Ukrainian town called Kulyenchikov, not knowing that the locals are under a curse that makes them incredibly foolish. Although the play is lighthearted, the cast went through rigorous preparation to perform it skillfully. They had rehearsals for three hours a day, four days a week, to immerse themselves in their roles. "I really liked rehearsals because I learned so much just about theater in general and how professional theater works," Beth Oldham, the female lead, said. "You know, going to theater rehearsal for the show, we weren't allowed to wear logos on our shirts or anything that would take us out of the world of Kulyenchikov." They even had a dialect coach come in and train them on how to perform in a Ukrainian accent. Their intense study of the characters allowed them to put on a professional performance. r I I I I I I I I I I l: Snetsky, played by Andrew Standley, discovers that he can spell words again and that the curse of stupidity has been broken. 2: Leon Tolchinsky, the lead character played by Jeremy Smith, pretends to have trouble getting the bride's ring on Sophia Zubritsky's finger, played by Beth Oldham. 3: The cast of "Fools" prepares to bow during their curtain call. 4: As an outsider, Jeremy Smith's character tries to reason with the cursed townspeople but cannot break thorugh their confusion. 5: Gregor Vousekevitch, played by Blake Hansher, describes his hatred for his father. 6: Lenya Zubritsky, played by Ranae Haskins, eats a flower, gifted to her by Leon, as a way of thanking him.